Business Profile: Hayes Nulman Design is a unique furniture design and fabrication studio in Montreal. It is unique because we build custom functional works of art by blending wood and metal in seamless design. We work well with clients who know exactly what they want. We also work well with clients who know the functions they need, but are unsure of the rest. In other words, we work well.

We have a firm belief that every element of every one of our products must serve a function. Our wood components are built using traditional joinery techniques, and are either reclaimed or sustainably-harvested lumber. Our metals are steel, stainless steel or aluminum; precision TIG welding of them leaves elegant welds which can be left as-is or polished. Unlike mass-produced counterparts which end up in landfills, our hand-made pieces are built to age gracefully.

His story: From a young age Hayes was fascinated with the construction of everyday objects. After finishing school in Furniture design and fabrication he tried to fit in at a large manufacturing company. Fortunately for us it was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. This led him to unleash his entrepreneurial spirit by establishing Hayes Nulman Design.

PME Quote: The money we received from PME has enabled us to purchase state of the art equipment that will push us to enter new product segments.

Business Profile: We provide quality pet grooming, straight to your door! We also provide safe overnight boarding for your dogs, in a home environment, which allows dogs to be a part of the family rather than just another dog in a kennel.

Her story: When I was going through nursing school, I wanted nothing but a dog to call my own. Once I adopted Maya from the SPCA, I realized that leaving her home alone all day was not fair. Here I was stuck between leaving my precious Maya home all day alone, or hiring a dog walker, a stranger who now would have access to my home and personal life. Montreal definitely needed a reliable pet service and I was going to bring it to them!

PME Quote: I was so lucky to have been given a 15k cheque from PME. This helped me with marketing and, essentially, cash flow! After over a year in business, I still have money to continue to grow my business, and I am so grateful for their amazing support. Getting this money proved to me that my community was there for me, and wanted to see me succeed. Even when others didn’t believe in my service, PME did!

Business Profile: MoneyCloud is a multi-merchant loyalty program that provides independent retailers and professionals with tools to foster stronger relationships with customers through mobile technology and advanced analytics, right in their own place of business.

His story: The idea came to me after working in the debit/credit processing industry for 3 years. Many merchants complained that there wasn’t an affordable loyalty program for small-medium sized businesses that could help them retain their customers and attract new ones. I saw the opportunity to solve a problem, and then came MoneyCloud.

PME Quote: PME was a very big help to MoneyCloud – the funds we received helped our evolving ideas come to life. We cannot thank PME enough for the opportunity it has given us. Thank you!

Business Profile: Medialpha manages an online platform that connects rising demand for home health services to a network of mobile health professionals. Medialpha offers patients the maximum control over their schedule; our professionals perform medical/paramedical acts whenever and wherever patients request them. Medialpha’s mission is to make everyone win in healthcare by providing great customer experience to patients, clinics and other partners.

Their story: Today, the healthcare system faces multiple challenges such as timely and convenient access to medical services. We recognize that personal time is precious for patients and that many health services can be performed outside of hospitals and clinics. We saw this as a great opportunity to improve current situation. Jean-Pierre is a skilled health administrator with a great knowledge of current challenges, and Marina has an extensive technical and managerial background, and a passion for healthcare management. Together, they created Medialpha to bring healthcare to patients’ homes while implementing world’s best practices in patient experience.

PME Quote: Before our pitch, we were nervous and humbled to present to such distinguished and accomplished panel members. It was such a thrill to receive their endorsement in terms of start-up funds and precious mentorship. Thanks to PME we are better equipped to launch our operations.

Business Profile: CoolWhey is North-America’s first protein ice cream. Each tub contains 23g of protein, is 100% natural and has no added sugar. Our ice cream can be used as a post-workout recovery or simply as a healthy snack!

Their story: Konstantinos Vassiliou and Benjamin Outmezguine have been friends for many years. They’ve known each other since high school and have always shared a passion for entrepreneurship. One of their most memorable experiences together takes place at the Young Entrepreneurs program from Junior Achievement in 2011. Together they participated in the development of a product, its creation and its selling as well. This planted the entrepreneurial seed of one day starting their own company. Noah Bernett met Kosta and Ben in CEGEP, and it wasn’t long before they realized that they all shared the same goals and passion for business. The three young men shared much more than just business, they also shared a similar life style of being active and having a love for sports. This led them to spending time together working out and participating in the same sports. Together they signed up for classes in martial arts, they went skiing during the winter and played soccer during the summer. These activities led to the creation of their business, CoolWhey.

PME Quote: PME provided us with everything we needed as a starting company; a great mentorship program, an interesting source of financing, and real support from the community.

Business Profile: N/A is a new kind of marketing agency with a singular goal: to connect people and brands in ways that affect positive social change. We call it Good Marketing.

Their story: Working at Saatchi & Saatchi, Sid Lee, Vice Magazine, and V Magazine in cities ranging from Montreal to New York, we decided it was time to use our editorial and marketing expertise to put purpose at the core of business.

PME Quote: The PME gave us one of our key big breaks early on. With their investment, we were able to grow in a smart way, and today - only 2.5 years in - count 3 multi-billion dollar companies in the US and Canada as clients. We couldn’t have gotten to where we are today without the PME.

Business Profile: CoPower is an online platform that allows Canadians to pool their money and invest in pre-vetted clean energy opportunities such as solar and energy efficiency systems. Investors receive solid financial returns, and make a positive impact on the environment and in their communities.

Their story: David is a lifelong environmentalist who worked in Toronto and New York City on mobilizing communities towards clean energy and generating local power. Raphael worked in science and technology for many years, developing an appreciation for new energy technologies and for the power of the Internet. The two of them met at a Montreal-based clean energy investment fund, where they grew to understand the barriers the traditional banking system places in front of financially-viable clean energy investments.

PME Quote: The support of the PME was about much more than money: it meant we had a rockstar group of entrepreneurs supporting us. From the CEO of a global clean energy company, to the founder of a successful research and marketing firm, to experienced lawyers and accountants, we have found ProMontreal Entrepreneurs to be one of the most valuable resources behind our company.

Business Profile: These colorful, lightweight, fun-shaped vinyl vibrating cushions offer a gentle sensation they are squeezed or sat on, relaxing, calming or soothing the body. This can help some kids sit still and others fall asleep! Kids that have trouble sitting for meals, stories, car rides, shopping trips, school work, movies, or anything else will be comforted by the vibrations of Senseez.

Their story: Senseez was created when my son was 2 years old and diagnosed with a special need. One of his difficulties was sitting in one place long enough to eat his meal, read a story, or sit for circle time. I spoke to an occupational therapist who recommended a vibrating mat to help with this. I bought one for my son, and he instantly loved the sensations! But one day, I wanted to take him to our local library for storytelling, and thought the mat would help, except it was large, black, heavy, and had to be plugged in. I was also concerned about my son looking different or standing out with a large mat. I went on a search to find a small, lightweight, portable pillow that would offer the same sensations that he could take with him. I couldn’t find one! The original prototypes were sewn in the basement of our home, and Senseez was born!

PME Quote: PME has been a tremendous support for us… not only in the financial area, but also in helping us to access a number of resources we would have not known about without their help!

Business Profile: Cuttle Pharmaceutical is a Montreal-based Contract Research Organization (CRO) dedicated to producing high-quality test drugs and other fine chemicals. The goal of our drug development services is to provide our clients with top quality products tailored to their research requirements, effectively reducing costs and timelines and helping to meet drug discovery milestones.

Their Story: Our business was initially started to help reduce domestic drug shortages by supplying active pharmaceutical ingredients for small volume prescription medications that were subject to shortages. Following regulatory changes at Health Canada, we pivoted to our current activity, contract pharmaceutical research, which is a rapidly growing market owing to a trend towards outsourcing research activities in the pharmaceutical sector.

PME Quote: The PME fund was instrumental in allowing us to meet our short-term needs while promoting our services, and it allowed us to buy materials to fulfill our first contracts and generate positive cash flow.

Business Profile: Gymbirds is pay-as-you-go fitness app that puts the entire menu of fitness classes available in your city at your fingertips. The app make it easy to discover the classes and gyms around you, get an affordable pass, and get going in seconds. No more lengthy signups, costly commitments or boredom at the gym!

Their Story: Montrealer Michael Moszberg was studying abroad and in the market for a gym, but didn’t want to make the commitment to a membership. He simply wanted to pay as he went and be able to go to the one that was most convenient at the time, but avoid the hassle of researching all of their drop-in rates and conditions. When Moszberg came back to Montreal, he realized that many people here were in a similar spot: They wanted the convenience of a membership, but not the commitment. Moszberg and his business partners Damien Galan and Tarek Riman started working on the idea that would become Gymbirds.com at the Google start-up event in February, and won McGill’s Dobson Cup, the university’s flagship startup competition in June. They won the CBC Media Pitch Prize at the International Startup Festival in July and were selected for a Jeune Promoteur award by Development Economique West Island in November before being selected by PME in December.

PME Quote: PME has provided us with the resources we needed to build our sales and marketing team, enabling Gymbirds to expand into new markets. They have also helped enormously by providing mentorship and making important introductions for us.

Business Profile: Wave Generation is a turn key audio production company working in the interactive and traditional media industries. Based in Montreal, the company operates out of its facility that includes sound design and dialog editing suites and a state of the art recording and 5.1 mixing studio.

Their story: The video game development industry in the city of Montreal and worldwide was demonstrating explosive growth at the time. We recognized there was real demand for high end audio content (music, sound, voice recording) for the games being developed. We stepped in and became the “go to” audio content service provider for the biggest video game developers and publishers in the industry.

PME Quote: Receiving financing from PME was THE key moment for us. We were young entrepreneurs looking to take on the challenge of launching and building a business. However, like any business, we needed money to get things going. PME believed in us and our idea enough to award us with financing to get the business off the ground. PME encouraged us to build the business, provided us with access to tremendous advisors and ultimately gave us the confidence to pursue the dream.

ProMontreal Entrepreneur (PME) is a social business model created to help
young Jewish entrepreneurs build and strengthen their business roots in
Montreal. The PME program provides guidance and support on how to launch
a start-up, and helps established businesses through a mentorship program.
Through the PME fund, aspiring entrepreneurs between the ages of 18-40 can
access start-up capital of up to $50,000.